This time on Saturday I will be wandering around the streets of Vancouver, immersing myself in anything and everything the city has to offer. And I cannot wait! I’ve got my currency, passport and a bag packed and I’ve also come up with a few things to keep myself occupied. The Museum of Anthropology is at the top of the list, as is the Granville Public Market and Stanley Park. There are a few other things that look really interesting and the hostel I’m staying at offers some guided tours as well, so I may just take them up on that. There are some funky restaurants and shops I want to investigate and I’ve been told that Vancouver’s Chinatown is simply the best. I almost feel like I should’ve booked a longer stay but then I wouldn’t have had time for the second stop on my itinerary, sunny San Diego!

Bring It, World

I’m staying with a friend of mine whom I haven’t seen in years and we’re both super excited to hang out and catch up. We’re going to check out the historic downtown Gaslamp District, La Jolla cove (which has lots of seals!), some delicious restaurants and a bar that’s kind of like a speakeasy, the Coronado Bridge and Island and various other things. At least, we’ll try to do all of this. I’m really only there for two full days so we’ll try to pack as much action into that time as humanely possible!

My last vacation was over a year ago when Scott and I went to Costa Rica and while that was beautiful and relaxing, I’m ready to get out and do some actual city exploration. It should be an easy trip compared to many of my others, especially since English is the primary language everywhere I’m going. I’m shoving all of my stuff into a backpack and I have a tendency to over pack so we’ll see how heavy that thing winds up being. I don’t really need too much, but the weather in Vancouver is going to be chilly and rainy whereas San Diego will be warm and sunny, so I’ll be packing for both climates. But having lived in the Midwest all of my life, I’m prepared for some erratic weather!

Scott and I are volunteering at an annual fundraiser for the food pantry I work with Friday night, which I kinda wish I had thought about when I booked my plane ticket. We’ve been helping with this big event every year it’s been going on and it’s a whole lot of fun – we basically give out name tags while listening to live music and enjoying free food and drinks. There’s a huge silent auction during the party and it’s in a really cool architectural space BUT my flight leaves at 8am Saturday morning (and since it’s technically international my butt will be there extra early) so I’m sure I’ll be dragging when I get on the plane. Still – this is all extremely fun stuff and I’m not complaining so I’m sure with a coffee (or three) I’ll be bouncing up and down and enjoying myself no matter what! How could I not?